| Land surveyors are used to make accurate | | | | conducting the actual land survey, as well. These |
| measurements of your land. You may have a land | | | | may include searching thoroughly for past |
| survey done before you purchase the property | | | | surveying monuments, cooperating with |
| or as you decide to build on it. Clearly, it is | | | | appropriate public officials, and making sufficient |
| important to have a qualified land surveyor | | | | measurements to be able to verify that the work |
| working on the survey. A land surveyor's | | | | is accurate. In the course of the survey, a |
| accuracy requires that minimum standards must | | | | surveyor must often set monuments to record |
| be met, in order to ensure that the survey is | | | | the boundaries on the physical property. Other |
| correct. The minimal standards for land surveying | | | | requirements may outline exactly what material |
| vary across states and countries. In the U.S., land | | | | should be used for the monuments. |
| surveyors are licensed on a state-by-state basis, | | | | Some states go so far as to stipulate exactly |
| meaning that the minimal standards may actually | | | | how the maps are to be drawn, in an effort to |
| vary greatly. | | | | standardize the process. These specific rules help |
| Most states' minimal standards for surveying | | | | to ensure that land surveys done by two |
| require that the surveyor provides a complete | | | | separate surveyors should be as identical as |
| and unequivocal definition of land boundaries with | | | | possible. |
| enough information to allow the description to be | | | | Most states require land surveyors to record their |
| plotted. Generally, this legal description must follow | | | | notes as they work, in a manner that would be |
| one of several surveying standards, such as the | | | | intelligible to another surveyor. In the event that |
| Public Land Survey System, or the metes and | | | | the current surveyor disagrees with a previous |
| bounds system, which describes how such | | | | survey, the present surveyor should contact the |
| measurements are to be taken and described. | | | | previous surveyor and attempt to resolve the |
| Between states, there is very little variation with | | | | issue. |
| regards to how this information is to be | | | | Land surveyors must be licensed in the state in |
| presented. | | | | which they work. The licensing requirements |
| Prior to beginning a survey, it is standard for a | | | | generally include a test, which will require |
| land surveyor to research background data, such | | | | knowledge of minimal standards of land surveying |
| as property deeds or old surveys, to determine | | | | as they are set out in the laws for that particular |
| what is already known about the property. The | | | | state. These guidelines often include ethical |
| surveyor must use this information when | | | | statements, such as stipulations that the minimal |
| determining the logical procedure for conducting a | | | | requirements should not be accepted as the only |
| survey of the land. | | | | standard for the practice of land surveying. Other |
| Although these are general rules for conducting a | | | | professional conduct standards written for land |
| survey, the guidelines set forth by many states | | | | surveyors may address issues such as conflict of |
| go into much greater detail. Most state | | | | interest or knowingly signing off on a survey that |
| requirements outline the minimal standards for | | | | does follow minimum standards. |